Cushion filler



June 30, 1931. J. R. POWELL ET A1..

CUSHION FILLER Filed DGO. 15, 1928 Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JESSE R. POWELL, MADISON L SHEELY, AND ROBERT SMITH, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO AMOUR & COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS CUSHION- FILLEB Application led December 15, 1828. Serial-No. 326,176.

This invention has to do with cushions of the type commonly used in the manufacture of automobile seats, and is concerned particularly with the construction of the pads which are inserted in the so-called pipes formed in' the fabric coverings of such cushions.

Curled hair is considered an ideal upholstering material because of the great resiliency that it possesses and the excellent ventilation that it affords. It has been used for a long time for that purpose, but its use in the plpes formed in the fabric coverings of cushions has not been entirely satisfactory owing to the difficulty experienced in getting it properly placed in the pipes. Other practical disadvantages, which apply more particularly to short hair such as that obtained from hogs, are the tendency of the hair ends to penetrate and work out through the fabric forming the pipes, and the lack of downy softness to the feel. Cotton, because of its softness and the ease with which it can be handled, has been used to a large extent to fill the pipes in the cheaper grades of cushions, but as an upholstering materialit is decidedly inferior to curled hair since it possesses practically no resiliency at all, soon mats down permanently, and affords no ventilation.

One important object of the invention is to provide a novel pad construction which has the resiliency of a pad made of curled hair, combined with the softness of a pad made of cotton, without the. objectionable characteristilcs of pads made of either of those materia s.

Another object is to provide, as a new article of manufacture, a long padding mem! ber which may be inserted easily in the pipes of cushions and cut to proper length at the time of insertion.

Other objects and advantages of the in- -vention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction of the improved pad.

One form of the invention is presented herein for the 1purpose of exempliication, but it will of c ourse be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of embodiment' in other structurally modified :formsl 'comin equally within the scope ofthe append'e claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of an automobile seat cushion containing pads constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. v2 is a sectional view, `taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the improved pads as it appears before insertion.

The pad shown in Fig. 3 is of generally cylindrical form prior to -insertion, and includes an elongated core 10 of curled hair. A covering 11 of cotton is wound about the core and is held in place by a. covering 12 of gauze. ,The gauze is secured in position by a narrow strip 13 of paper which is glued over the joint in the gauze along the bottom of the pad. A sheet 14 of crepe paper or other readily flexible material impervious to the hair is positioned inside the covering 11 of cotton about the upper portion of the pad, andanother layer 15 of cotton is placed inside the sheet 14 of crepe paper to keep the latter out of direct contact with the hair.

lVhen the pad is inserted inone of the pipes 16 of the cushion, it is positioned with the crepe paper uppermost, and assumes the shape of the ipe, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

'lhe core o curled hair gives the pad permanent resiliency, and the lcovering of cotton renders the pad quite soft. The sheet of crepe paper inside the pad vprevents the .hair from working through the cotton into the fabric, of the cushion, and the layer ofA cotton between the crepe paper and the hair eliminates the crackling noise that would occur were the crepe paper in direct contact with the hair.

The core of the pad, instead of being made of curled hair, may be made of some other resilient material, such as curled' `vegetable fibre, and the covering about the core, instead of being made of cotton, may be made of some other soft and downymaterial.

A pad constructed in accordance with the invention is suitable for use in high-grade cushions, is far superior to the pads whichv have heretofore been used for that purpose,

can be manufactured at small cost, and can be made up in long lengths and out to proper length at the time of insertion.

We claim:

1. A pad for insertion in the pipe of a cushion` consisting of a core of curled hair,

a covering of less resilient but softer material, and means for preventing the curlcd hair from working through the softer material.

2. A pad for insertion in the pipe of a cushion, consisting of a core of curled hair, a

covering of cotton, and means for preventing the curled hair from working through the cotton.

3. A pad for insertion in the pipe of a cushion consisting of a core of curled hair, a covering of cotton. and a sheet of impervious material between the inner and outer surfaces of the cotton.

4. A pad for insertion in the pipe of a cushion. consisting of a core of curled hair, a covering of cotton. and a sheet of crepe paper between the inner and outer surfaces of the cotton.

5. A pad for insertion in the pipe of a cushion. consisting of a core of curled hair, a covering of cotton, a sheet of crepe paper on the inside of the cotton, and a layer of' cotton between the crepe paper and the v curled hair.

6. A pad for insertion in the pipe of a cushion. consisting of a core of curled hair, a covering of cotton. means for preventing the curled hair from working through the upper portion of the cotton, and means for holding the cotton about the curled hair.

7. A pad for insertion in the pi e of a, cushion consisting of a relatively thick core of curled hair, a relatively thin covering of cotton, a sheet of impervious material between the inner and outer surfaces of the cotton, and a covering of gauze about the cotton for holding the latter in position about A the curled hair.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a. padding unit for insertion in a cushion, consisting of a highly resilient core made up of stiff penetrating fibers, a less resilient but softer covering for the core made up of soft fibers which the stiil' fibers would netrate, and means for preventing the sti fibers of the core from working out through the Soft fibers of the covering through the cushionforming surface of the latter.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto subscribed our names.

JESSE R. POWELL. MADISON L. SHEELY. ROBERT SMITH. 

